BMI for Indian Adults: Why the Healthy Range Is Lower

Body Mass Index (BMI) is the most common quick check of whether your weight is in a healthy range for your height. But if you're Indian, the ranges printed on most international charts may not be the right ones for you.

How BMI is calculated

BMI = weight in kilograms ÷ (height in metres)². Someone who is 170 cm tall and weighs 70 kg has a BMI of 70 ÷ (1.70 × 1.70) ≈ 24.2.

The standard WHO ranges

• Below 18.5, underweight
• 18.5 to 24.9, normal
• 25 to 29.9, overweight
• 30 and above, obese

By these ranges, a BMI of 24.2 is comfortably "normal".

Why Indian guidelines use lower cut-offs

Research has found that, at the same BMI, South Asian people tend to carry more body fat, especially around the abdomen, than people of European descent, and face a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease at lower weights. For this reason, the WHO suggested lower action points for Asian populations, and Indian consensus guidelines published in 2009 use these ranges for adults:

• Below 18, underweight
• 18 to 22.9, normal
• 23 to 24.9, overweight
• 25 and above, obese

So the same BMI of 24.2 that is "normal" internationally falls in the "overweight" band under Indian guidelines.

Waist size matters too

Because where fat is stored matters, Indian guidelines also look at waist circumference. A waist of 90 cm or more for men, or 80 cm or more for women, is generally considered a sign of abdominal obesity, even if BMI looks fine. Measure around your belly at the level of your navel, breathing out normally.

What BMI can't tell you

BMI doesn't distinguish muscle from fat, so very muscular people can score as "overweight". It's also not designed for children, teenagers or pregnant women, who need different charts. Treat BMI as a starting point for a conversation, not a diagnosis, a doctor can interpret it alongside your other health measures.

From BMI to daily calories

If you want to change your weight, the next useful number is how many calories your body uses. Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is what you burn at rest; multiply it by an activity factor to estimate your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE).

Try it: the BMI Calculator works out your BMI, the BMR Calculator estimates your resting calories, and the Calorie Needs (TDEE) tool adds in your activity level.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Please speak to a doctor for advice about your own health.

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